Exodus - Part Four

October 10, 2010 Speaker: Steve Ottolini Series: Exodus

Topic: Learning Hour

Course Objectives

1. To understand the Book of Exodus
2. To identify with the covenant community in Exodus
3. To grow in devotion to Jesus and the Bible

I. The Ten Commandments and Case Law
A. First four commandments relating to God: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, strength and mind.
B. Next six commandments relating to one another. Love your neighbor as yourself.
C. Ist commandment: Exodus 20:3 “No other God.”
1. God has __________ ____________ to our allegiance.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 45. Which is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Q. 46. What is required in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly.
Q. 47. What is forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshiping and glorifying, the true God as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone.
Q. 48. What are we specially taught by these words before me in the first commandment?
A. These words before me in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God.


D. Second Commandment: Exodus 20:4-6; No Idols
1. God is ________ and forbids ____________ of Himself by earthly materials.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 45. Which is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Q. 46. What is required in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly.
Q. 47. What is forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshiping and glorifying, the true God as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone.
Q. 48. What are we specially taught by these words before me in the first commandment?
A. These words before me in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God.

E. Third Commandment: Exodus 20:7; Do not take the Lord’s name in vain.
1. It is forbidden to consider God’s name __________ and __________; to __________ or ___________, His presence and power.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 53. Which is the third commandment?
A. The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain
Q. 54. What is required in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.
Q. 55. What is forbidden in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known.
Q. 56. What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.

F. Fourth Commandment: Exodus 20:8-11; Keep Sabbath Holy
1. To keep the Sabbath involved ________ ________. This is the only commandment not repeated in the New Testament.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 57. Which is the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservent, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Q. 58. What is required in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy sabbath to himself.
Q. 59. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly sabbath?
A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian sabbath.
Q. 60. How is the sabbath to be sanctified?
A. The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.
Q. 61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission, or careless performance, of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.
Q. 62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God’s allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the sabbath day.

G. Fifth Commandment: Exodus 20:12; Honor your father and mother.
1. Father and mother are _________ ____________ authorities.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 63. Which is the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment is, Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Q. 64. What is required in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.
Q. 65. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honor and duty which belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations.
Q. 66. What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God’s glory and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.

H. Sixth commandment: Exodus 20:13; Do not Murder
1. A Covenant of ________ _________ from Genesis 9:5-6

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 67. Which is the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.
Q. 68. What is required in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life, and the life of others.
Q. 69. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor, unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.

I. Seventh Commandment: Exodus 20:14; Do not commit adultery
1. _____________ to a __________ that “you can see.”

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 70. Which is the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Q. 71. What is required in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbor’s chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.
Q. 72. What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.

J. Eighth Commandment: Exodus 20:15; Do not steal
1. Respect for image bearers extends to their property. God forbids that we “use” people for _____________ ___________ ____________.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 73. Which is the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.
Q. 74. What is required in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.
Q. 75. What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may, unjustly hinder our own, or our neighbor’s wealth or outward estate.

K. Ninth Commandment: Exodus 20:16; Do not bear false testimony.
1. _______________ for an image bearer ________ to their _____________; as well as life and property.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 76. Which is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Q. 77. What is required in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbor’s good name, especially in witness-bearing.
Q. 78. What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own, or our neighbor’s, good name.

L. Tenth Commandment: Exodus 20:17; Do not covet.
1. We are to care for __________, not ____________.
2. The prohibition against coveting strikes at the root of what motivates us to violate the rights of others.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 80. What is required in the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbor, and all that is his.
Q. 81. What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.

II. Exodus 21: 1-23:19 The Book of Covenant
A. Deals with a wide variety of ___________ ______________; slavery, theft, adultery. Violations are met with harsh sentences. (Nine require executions)
B. Many case laws built on the principle; lex talionis: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” Exodus 21: 23-25
III. Exodus 23:20-33: Conquest of Canaan Promised
IV. Exodus 24: The Covenant Confirmed

Discussion Questions

Read Psalm 119. List and write out references that tell you what the law is like and the positive results for somebody that delights in the law (on the Word of God) as the Psalmist does.

More in Exodus

October 24, 2010

Exodus - Part 6

October 17, 2010

Exodus - Part Five

October 3, 2010

Exodus - Part Three